Watch Me Fall At Your Feet
by MaydayParade8123
Summary: Annabeth's in love with Luke, and then she isn't. Percy might start feeling differently about his best friend. AU.


Summary: Weirdly enough, Percy envisions himself leaning forward and _kissing_ her. It's a pull that's so foreign and almost bizarre that he abruptly faces the ceiling again, pulse just a little too fast to be classified as normal. Neither of them speak, but Annabeth presses her forehead against his shoulder. He exhales. OR - Annabeth's in love with Luke, and then she isn't. Percy might start feeling a little differently towards his best friend.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, the Heroes of Olympus series, or characters I adopt from those books. Merely the characterization and plot are mine. I also don't own any books, movies, games, music, et cetera that I reference.

Author's Note: everything i touch turns to 10k+ friends to lovers

;;;

Everyone who attends Mendler High knows Annabeth Chase and Luke Castellan have been together forever.

To be fair, _forever_ might be a bit of a hyperbole, but a six-year relationship is a feat in itself, particularly with young couples. It's been forever in teenage years, maybe.

But... Even people who _don't_ attend Mendler High know that Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase have been close friends for even longer. They'd joined forces in the third grade, while Luke and Annabeth had began dating in the seventh grade. Percy tends to keep quiet about it, calmly accepting the difference between "they've been together forevers" and "you guys have been friends for a whiles." He gets it, he does, relationships are more important than friendships, at least to high schoolers curious about the latest drama.

If he's being honest, Percy's always thought Annabeth and Luke would get married, settle down with a few blonde-haired kids and be a model family. He's never been inclined to think differently, since Luke looks at Annabeth like she's the sun and Annabeth doesn't hesitate to return the sentiment.

They're seniors in high school now—Percy's ready to be _done_ and over with the place, Annabeth's ready to skip off to college, and Luke… Well, Percy doesn't know about Luke. Come to think of it, he and Luke had never been exactly best buds, but it's never been something he found worrying. After all, "best friend" and "boyfriend" were two very different titles, and it made sense that they would be kept separately.

Percy's in his seventh period art class when he realizes things are changing.

**Annabeth:** Hi. Are you doing anything after school?

He frowns a little at the message as it buzzes through; Annabeth usually cares a little less about grammar when she's texting, and it's not often that she maintains such a formal voice, especially around him.

**Percy:** no, i was just going home is everything alright?

**Annabeth:** everything is fine I'm sorry I didn't mean to worry you! I just need some advice

_There we go_, Percy thinks, marveling at the fact that he's always able to bring Annabeth back to normal regardless of the situation. She's told him that before, too, he apparently grounds her better than most people. As a best friend should.

**Percy:** advice?

**Annabeth:** we'll talk after. Drive me home

Percy grins a little at the demand, smile widening when she follows it up with a 'please'. He answers in the affirmative and zones back in on the conversation surrounding him.

;;

Annabeth is leaning up against his car when he finally makes it out to the parking lot, but she says little else besides a greeting, even after they've driven for ten minutes.

"So…" Percy starts. "Am I taking you home or to the Jackson residence?"

She offers up a barely there smile. Percy doesn't like that. "The second option, please."

Beyond that, the ride is silent. Annabeth looks out the window and twists her hands, like she isn't sure what to do with herself. Usually she nods along to whatever he happens to be playing, occasionally offering her opinion when the song is over. She's always told him that she loves car rides with him better than anything. It would be an understatement to say he's worried.

Annabeth doesn't say another word until he's shut the front door behind them. He toes off his shoes, humming idly. "I'm thinking of breaking up with Luke," she tells him, without prelude.

Percy pauses. Then he laughs. "Yeah, right. What are you really upset about?"

She scowls then, her face twisting up into something displeased and confused all at once. "I'm serious."

"Yeah, and I'm dating Halle Berry," Percy snorts, nudging her shoulder with his own on his way into the kitchen. "Tell me what's up. _For real_."

Annabeth sinks into the nearest chair, clearly exhausted. For the first time since the beginning of the conversation, Percy wonders if Annabeth's being honest. "I think," Annabeth says slowly, as if she's trying out the words for size, "that I don't love him anymore."

Percy doesn't believe that for a second. "Why do you say that?"

Her face falls and Percy's heart drops along with it. He goes to her, reaching out to pull her into a quick hug, rubbing her back. She accepts the comfort, leaning into him. "Hey," he says, mock-sternly, pulling back to meet her eyes. "Don't fall apart on me, now. Tell me why you're thinking like this all of a sudden."

Annabeth sniffles, even if there aren't any tears in her eyes. "It's not actually that sudden," she admits. "I've been thinking about it ever since I started seriously looking at colleges."

"There's no way that's true," Percy says, squeezing her upper arms. "C'mon, you were looking at colleges in the middle of last year."

Annabeth blinks at him, eyes sad and conflicted. "I know," she says in a gentle tone, eventually.

He raises his eyebrows a little, but doesn't let his shock show beyond that. "Okay. Now we've established when, but tell me why."

Annabeth bites her thumbnail, so Percy bats her hand away, leveling her with a look. She sighs. "It started last year at his birthday party. You were there when it happened, I think, but Luke walked up to me and kissed me—which, I mean. That's not out of our norm, or anything, but he knows I'm not particularly into PDA…" Percy nods. Even he knows this. "And I just didn't feel anything?"

Percy bites the inside of his cheek, remembering Luke's none-too-subtle displays of affection all throughout the party and sliding into the chair beside her every time she spoke to a boy who wasn't him. There's a high probability that she was too bothered by his reactions to focus on how she was feeling. "Okay."

"So"—Annabeth pauses to draw in a deep breath, and Percy moves a chair so that he can beside her—"I thought it was just me being silly, or whatever, but then after the party I stayed around, and he kissed me again, like _really_ kissed me, not just a quick one, and it was still just _nothing_." She sounds frustrated, pushing her hair out of her face. Percy sees a little scar on her forehead from a mishap with a tree branch when they were twelve. "And ever since then I've been feeling less and less around him."

Percy shifts, lacing his hands together on top of his knees. Here he is, a boy hoping to someday get into the field of family and marital counseling, and he has no clue what to say about his best friend's long term relationship. "Maybe you're overthinking it," he entreats, meeting her eyes. "Like, maybe you're looking for evidence or—"

"Percy," Annabeth says firmly, "I know what it feels like to be in love. It's one of those things where it becomes obvious when you fall out of it."

He nods at the new information. Percy hasn't ever been in love, so he can't vouch for the statement, but he trusts Annabeth almost more than he trusts himself. "Anything else?"

Annabeth looks up to the right, then stares bleakly at the faded mahogany kitchen table. "It doesn't make me happy when he compliments me anymore," she adds, tapping the table twice. "Sometimes it just annoys me, but most of the time it's just… you know, _there_. Like he said it, okay, but it doesn't feel like it means anything anymore."

Percy wants to pause and consider what that means, but Annabeth plows on. "And then I thought it was just because we were going to different colleges in different states, so maybe I was looking for reasons to break up with him, like you said," she rambles, fingertips resting on her temple. "Then I realized that I didn't really have to look that hard. And just the thought of 'taking a break' or whatever sounds like a relief. And getting back together once we can sounds…"

"Sounds?" Percy prompts.

"Like something I wouldn't want to do," she finishes, exhaling. "I don't know what's wrong."

This should be so far up his alley that he could pluck the answer off a silver platter, but Percy finds himself biting his lip in confusion. "Maybe," he starts, drawing shapes on the table, "it's one of those situations where you've grown up so close that you're trying to kind of figure out yourself? Like without him?"

Annabeth shrugs. "Maybe. But I've been with you for longer, and I don't feel like that."

"Relationships are different," Percy points out.

"Not by much," Annabeth counters. "I kiss Luke and hold his hand. That's about the only difference."

He thinks he could argue that, but he's guessing Annabeth is taking on enough issues right now. Watching her for a second, Percy finds himself curious about how Luke's been reacting to her sudden lack of warmth towards him. "Does he have any clue?"

Annabeth shrugs, a sad smile slipping on her face. "Probably. We've never been masters at hiding things from each other, so I'm sure he's caught wind of something." She drops her forehead onto the table, so Percy reaches out to pat her hair comfortingly. "This is so shitty of me."

He frowns. "Hey, don't be so hard on yourself. You can't help who you love or who you don't. Has he done anything specifically that made you love him less, or was it just a feeling?"

Annabeth groans against the wooden table. "He's been _great_, and that's what makes me feel worse. He's not really doing anything wrong, I'm just constantly edgy lately." Percy's chest aches dully. He hates when Annabeth is upset.

She sits up suddenly, squaring her shoulders as something mature and determined settles on her face, making Percy's heart jump a little. Percy's seen Annabeth just about every day for years on end, and for whatever reason, it's never really occurred to him that she's stunning.

That's probably a lie, Percy thinks, cocking his head to the side. Annabeth's always been pretty, sure, but there's never been a moment that slammed into him like this; where he feels proud and awed and generally glad that he's met her. Not for her looks—though she's definitely grown from frizzy hair and mismatched clothes—but for the way she handles herself. Annabeth's a great person; amazing, even.

"I always knew that when high school ended a lot of people lost contact," Annabeth says, voice even and calm, despite the storm raging in her eyes. "I just never thought it would be Luke, I guess. Kind of always had this feeling we would get married?"

Percy nods with a little smile. "I always thought the same."

Annabeth bites her lip in concentration. They're very pink. Percy shakes his head to clear his thoughts. "Maybe we just need a break. Maybe I'll change my mind about the not wanting to get back together thing," she says eventually, settling back into her seat.

"Maybe," he agrees. "But it's okay if you don't. Feelings change and all that."

Annabeth gives him a sharp look, but he misses the significance. "Am I a bad person?"

Percy immediately rushes to say '_no, never, you're the best_', but he ends up laughing warmly. "I think we both know I'm a little biased."

She grins too, gives a short laugh that almost sounds breathless. Percy's always loved Annabeth's laugh. It's not a frequent occurrence that she graces humanity with it, but when she does it's genuine and heartfelt. "Maybe I want to hear your bias?"

Percy rolls his eyes, a little fond. "Yeah, yeah. You're the best person in my life. Except for Mom." He clears his throat, deciding to branch out from his customary response. "And, like, you kind of bring good wherever you go," he continues, shifting his shoulders. "You're one of those people where it's really hard to be upset around you, because you're so… _you_. And you always know the words for things."

"Ah, that's me," she says, amused. "The walking dictionary."

"_My_ walking dictionary," he corrects, a little petulant. It's not often that she defines things for other people; it's _their_ thing. She even let's Luke wallow in his small bouts of ignorance, when they arise.

Annabeth smiles. "All yours." The words along with the warmth in her eyes makes his stomach turn over once, which usually doesn't happen, but Percy's also _starving_, so it could be that.

They share a plate of Oreos and Annabeth leaves his house looking less tired. All in all, it's a normal day, save for the fact Annabeth's considering ending her relationship with Luke.

;;

Percy's stayed blissfully unaware of any more AnnabethandLuke-related drama, but it doesn't last long. To be exact, it lasts three days.

Surprisingly, Luke approaches him in the hallway on a day Annabeth's stayed home with a migraine. Percy's a little worried, but she's been texting him on and off out of boredom, so he's getting his updates. He's using his full body weight to close his locker enough to slip the lock on when Luke taps his shoulder.

Percy secures the lock, breathing out a sigh of relief. So it seems his locker is a little full. He and Annabeth will clean it out during lunch sometime next week, hopefully. She's good at organizing. "How can I help you, Luke?" Percy questions, clapping him on the back. He and Luke have always been cordial, but Luke's displayed hostility, being distinctly cold at times. The black-haired boy has yet to figure out the root of that.

"Annabeth's not here and she won't text me back," Luke admits, a little sheepishly. "Have you heard anything?"

Percy feels guilty, even if he's not the one avoiding his boyfriend of six years. "She told me pretty early this morning that she has a migraine," he says, omitting a little bit of truth. "Probably napping or staying away from bright screens."

Luke nods immediately, like he understands, but his expression clouds over. "Um, has she mentioned anything to you? About me?"

Percy starts down the hallway, heading for his English class, rubbing his arm uncomfortably. "There's kind of a best friends agreement in there somewhere. I wouldn't feel right if I told."

This makes Luke scowl, but Percy knows he's made the right decision. He shouldn't be the one telling Luke how Annabeth feels. "Right." He clears his throat, though it sounds more like a grunt of annoyance. It probably is. "She told me she went over to yours a few days ago?"

Percy's eyebrows knit together, but he nods. "Yeah," he drawls, shrugging. "She comes over all the time."

Luke laughs without humor. "I guess I'm not asking the right question, then. I'm actually more wondering if you guys have been… _you know_."

His eyebrows raise now, a laugh falling out of his mouth without his permission. "Oh God, _no_."

"No?"

Percy shakes his head, chuckling again. "Dude, no way. What made you think that?"

Luke looks a little embarrassed now, but he breathes out a sigh of relief. "I don't know. I know she's not like that, she would never. And I trust her," he says lightly, "but lately she's been kind of clinging to you and not so much me."

Sympathetically, Percy pats his back. "I'd talk to her. But I can promise we haven't been going behind your back and doing anything. We aren't really like _that_. Besides, even if Annabeth wanted to—and I can assure you she doesn't—_I_ would make sure that we didn't. Cheating's not right."

The blonde-haired boy looks no less confused than when the conversation started. "Yeah, thanks. It means a lot. That you look out for her." Luke glances away. "Even if I wish she would let me do that more often."

Percy grimaces. "You know how she can be. Independent and all that."

"Yeah, but the same rules never apply to you," Luke almost spits, frustrated. "Like, she 'doesn't want to talk', but she can still call you. Or she 'wants to be alone', but doesn't mind going over to your house for a few hours."

Reaching out for the door handle, Percy gives a fleeting look over his shoulder. "Best friends are different than boyfriends. And you should talk to her, really. I can't tell you any more than she can."

Luke still looks peeved, huffing a little. "Yeah, alright."

"I'm sorry, man," Percy offers. "Best of luck."

When he's sat at his desk, he pulls his phone out and reads the messages that had buzzed through during his conversation with Luke.

**Annabeth:** i'mmdmm sooosso boredndc

**Annabeth:** luke keeps texting me and I don't know what to say

**Annabeth:** I'm just going to reply

**Annabeth:** can you get my homework for me?

Percy sighs. He hates being in the crossfire, but she's his best friend. He'd stand in the crossfires for an eternity, if he had to.

**Percy:** i would definitely answer him because he's upset

**Percy:** as in upset enough to approach me and ask about you

**Percy:** he also thought we were 'doing things' ?/

**Annabeth:** oh god

**Annabeth:** WAIT WHAT

Percy huffs out a laugh, conjuring up Annabeth's half-amused and half-appalled expression, but the ringing bell drowns out the sound. He sends Annabeth a final text to let her know he's in class and that he'll see her soon.

;;

The second he rings her doorbell, she's dragging him inside by the shirt collar. "He's going to be here in twenty minutes," Annabeth says, sounding mildly panicked. Percy squeezes her shoulder. "I can't do this. He said 'we need to talk'. That's what everyone says right before they—"

"Break up," Percy finishes. Annabeth nods. "Look, I really don't think he's going to end it with you. I think he's just…" He flounders for a word. "Confused. He's not sure why you're all distant. That's actually why he thought you were cheating on him."

She scoffs. "That's so ridiculous."

Percy shrugs. "Maybe, from our point of view. But…" He scratches the back of his head. "He said that you've been 'clinging' to me more, and not so much him, and he sounded really cut up about it. He really does care. Luke's a good guy." Annabeth's face falls, so Percy backtracks. "He _is_ a good guy, but just because you aren't as into him anymore, that doesn't make you the bad guy."

Annabeth sighs, fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. Well, that might be Percy's shirt. She should probably change before Luke gets here. "I just don't know what to do."

Percy frowns and wishes he could take care of it for her. "Well, first, you should change your shirt. Luke already things we're, ah, _doing things_. You wearing my shirt probably won't help matters."

She groans, letting her head fall back. Percy snickers a little and heads for her room, choosing a shirt that's definitely hers. "Just change," he tells her, handing it over when she enters the room after him. "Don't give him more fuel for the fire, here."

He turns his back out of courtesy and habit, pulling out his phone to check and see if his mom's called; she hasn't. He hears the swishing sounds fabric, and presses his hand against his chest when his pulse speeds up the slightest bit. _Weird_, Percy thinks, smoothing his shirt. "I don't know _how_ to break up with him," Annabeth says, voice muffled by a shirt. "We've always been together. How do you even start a conversation like this? You can turn around now."

Percy turns, tossing his phone onto her bed, and opens his arms for a hug. Annabeth hugs him. "I should probably leave before he decides to show up a little early," he says remorsefully, "but I know you'll do fine. Even if you don't do it today, you'll figure it out when the time is right. Just remember that it's not your fault."

Annabeth nods against his chest, curls that look just the same as they did years ago brushing at his chin. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Percy replies, rubbing her back in hopes of transferring a little strength. "Just go with what feels right. You can come over after, if you feel up to it."

Annabeth scoops up his phone off her comforter and shoves it in his pocket, thankfully, since his phone lying around might give Luke the wrong idea. Or support his wrong idea.

Percy leaves her house and sees Luke at a stoplight a few minutes out. He wishes he could stand beside Annabeth while they talk it through, if only to play mediator. Maybe to give her the occasional supportive shoulder squeeze or help her out when she loses her words and he still knows what she means to say.

She's a big girl, though, and Percy knows that. He's more or less watched her grow up right before his eyes; has seen the math whiz and weirdly tall girl with ringlets turn into an intelligent woman with the very same curls. If anyone can handle something like this, it's her.

;;

Annabeth texts him two hours later, just around the time Percy's becoming highly concerned. He's explained most of the situation to his mom, since she's one of his best friends, too, and they're both eagerly awaiting Annabeth's response. (He somewhat forgets to mention the fact that he's started feeling weird around his best friend lately. As in, almost nervous but in a good way. Annabeth would know the right word.)

**Annabeth:** we talked and I'll tell you all about it tomorrow but I'm really tired

**Annabeth:** thank you though you're the best friend ever and I love you

Percy reads the texts aloud to his mom, who coos in adoration and starts dinner.

**Percy:** okay and i love you too

"It's weird," his mom says, after a few minutes of silence. "I've never really imagined Annabeth and Luke would break up."

Percy smiles something that closely resembles a grimace, tracing his name on the table. "Yeah, that's what everyone's been saying."

"But," she continues, "I also never saw them getting married."

"Really?" Percy questions, genuinely shocked. "Why not?"

His mom waves it off, laughing lightly. "Oh, it's just me being silly, I'm sure. I've only seen Annabeth and Luke together a few times, so I don't really know how serious they are."

"Serious enough for a six-year relationship," Percy comments.

She hums in agreement, but shoots a look over her shoulder. "You and Annabeth have been friends for longer, haven't you?"

"Yeah, we have," Percy says. "But friends and boyfriends are different." He feels like he's said similar phrases a million times in the past few days. There's never been a reason to drive the point home until now, it seems.

"I still find it interesting that Luke thought you guys were going behind his back," she mentions, pausing to tie her brown hair back. There's a few grey strands here and there. "She must have done something to make him feel insecure in their relationship."

"Well, she _has _been coming over a lot," Percy says slowly. "And possibly avoiding him? I don't know the details." She tosses what looks like chicken into a skillet and Percy's stomach growls. "Me and Annabeth haven't really given him a reason to think we are, or at least I don't think we have. I mean, we hardly even touch when he's around because he usually gets weird about it."

His mom lets the writer in her show when she replies with, "You don't have to touch someone to show you love them." She proceeds to relate it to a book she published a few years ago, relaying the plot to Percy even if he's heard about it enough to breeze through a book club discussion about the novel. He indulges his mother anyways and lets her ramble on about her past and upcoming novels.

It takes him a little longer to fall asleep that night. He has a hunch that it's due to the fact that Annabeth's probably not sleeping well either.

;;

"We didn't break up," Annabeth says, after she's settled at his kitchen table with a plate of waffles, generously made by his mother. "He says that we should just take a break, at least for a few months."

"Staying friends, then?" his mother questions from her place at the coffee pot. She passes Percy a mug of hot chocolate—coffee's never been his thing—and fishes another out for Annabeth.

"We're going to try," Annabeth answers. "I don't know if it'll work out. The whole point of the break is to give each other some space, and it'll be hard to get said space if we're so busy trying to salvage a friendship."

Percy rubs a hand across her shoulders, his brow dipping in concern. "And you're okay?"

"Honestly, Percy," she says with a sigh, jabbing him gently with her fork. "If you ask me again I'm going to go home and back to sleep."

He loves Saturdays, for the most part, because Annabeth usually attends breakfast, save the days Luke takes her out. Saturday morning breakfasts are of utmost importance at the Jackson residence, usually followed by some daytime television and occasionally a board game or a round of Family Feud; more often than not played with Sally and Percy up against Annabeth alone. Sometimes Percy joins Annabeth's team.

Today, though, Annabeth sprawls out in what she's claimed as her recliner and declares that she'll be taking a nap. Percy calls her lame, Annabeth throws a pillow at him, and Sally reprimands them both.

"Actually, now that you mention it," Percy says, stretching, "a nap sounds nice."

Annabeth sticks out her tongue at him. It's weirdly reminiscent of her sixth grade self. "Who's lame _now_?"

"Still you," he tells her, with probably a little too much warmth.

So, it's easier to fall asleep when Annabeth's curled up in a chair a few feet away, Percy finds out. He doesn't wake up again until a few minutes past noon.

;;

Luke stops him one day, just after Percy's slipped out of the boys bathroom. He looks tired and discouraged, but he still manages a smile. "How is she?"

Percy wonders when he became Luke's connection to Annabeth, but he answers him without a fuss. "She's fine. Adjusting," he adds, pulling his backpack further up his shoulder, "but fine."

Luke nods, grimacing slightly. "Thanks."

Percy shrugs. "You're welcome. I hope you're alright, too." He and Luke hadn't exactly been the best of friends, sure, but Percy can't imagine his life without Annabeth. Just the thought of going through what Luke is makes him feel nauseous.

Luke rolls his shoulders. "I'm adjusting."

They make small talk for a few minutes before Luke hurries off to class, looking disheveled and out of balance. Percy remembers when Annabeth spent a month in Greece with her mother the summer of freshman year; remembers feeling like he had lost a limb and was forced to relearn how to walk.

Percy knows Luke, though not as well as he probably should, and he's gathered that he's a resilient guy. Always the first to bounce back from an argument (even if Annabeth's over it in under an hour, just refuses to apologize due to both pride and obstinance), and Annabeth's told Percy over and over again that Luke doesn't let things get to him. It's apparently one of the things she likes most about him.

Percy's sure that Luke'll be fine. That being said, he spends most of the day fretting over Annabeth and being incredibly overbearing, more likely than not.

;;

"I'm so _bored_," Annabeth whines down the line, as soon as Percy picks up. He's fresh out of the shower, towel still around his waist, and he has a pile of homework on his desk that he's making large efforts to avoid.

"How bored?" Percy decides to indulge her.

"So bored. Bored enough to call you and talk about how bored I am. What are you up to right now?"

"Right now?" he questions, glancing around his room for something more interesting to offer. "Uh. Just… standing around. In my towel. Not doing homework."

He can almost hear her rolling her eyes, and it might be the highlight of his day. "Put some clothes on and do your homework."

"It's boring," Percy complains, though he does decide to opt for clothes. He sets the call on speakerphone while he fumbles through his drawers. "Do you want to hang out?"

"Hang out?"

"I mean, you can come over if you want, or I can come over to yours, or we can go get lunch, or I can look up what movies are playing…" Percy trails off. "It's been a while since we went to the movies together. We should do that."

"Yeah, sorry," Annabeth says sheepishly. "Luke used to get so mad when we did go, sometimes. I figured it stopped being worth the argument."

Which shouldn't sting, but it sort of does, at least for Percy. His friendship is less important than a petty argument. "No, I get it. Really. I'm gonna get dressed and you should see what's playing and pick something out."

"You get a say, too," she protests, and Percy smiles at his phone for a second.

"Not today. This is Annabeth Day. Percy Loves His Best Friend Annabeth and Wants To Do Something Nice For Her Day."

Annabeth laughs, but it's hardly unkind. She sounds happy. "That's a long title."

He sighs, feigning exhaustion. "We'll shorten it to Percy Loves Annabeth Day if it makes you happy."

She doesn't answer, so his eyebrows dip in concern. She's made a habit of getting far away, lately, stopping mid-sentence with no intention of continuing it. He can't help but fret over it, even if he knows the source of her preoccupation is Luke's absence. "Hey, Percy?" He makes some sort of noise to let her know he's listening as he drags a shirt over his head. "Thank you. For everything."

Percy can feel his cheeks heat up, and he's only half-sure why. "You know it's not a problem. You're welcome."

"I'll pick a movie," she tells him. "And you're the best best friend in the entire world."

She hangs up before he can challenge the claim, and texts him a few seconds later with a movie title.

;;

Percy was telling nothing but the truth when he said he and Annabeth hadn't made a trip to the movies in a while. There had been a time where they made it a point to go nearly every month—Percy always wanting to see the new action movie and Annabeth begging for him to take her to the films based on books she had read. However, the time had arose where suddenly Luke wasn't as comfortable with Percy and Annabeth going out together, even if the craziest it got between them was throwing popcorn kernels.

Percy wonders if Luke's been insecure for a while. He wonders if it wasn't just a new thing evoked by Annabeth's sudden cold shoulder, and it takes Percy a few minutes of careful thought to realize the reason he and Luke never really got along.

With a sidelong glance at Annabeth, Percy feels unexplainably stupid. It's so obvious—or, at least, had been obvious—and yet he missed it. Luke was so plainly threatened by Percy and intimidated by his close relationship with Annabeth. That would shed light on why Luke could be so short with Percy at times and give him glares when Annabeth turned away.

She laughs at a line from the movie that Percy missed, but he gets to watch the way her face lights up, so he finds that he isn't too bothered by the fact that he's not in on the joke.

Halfway through the movie, Annabeth catches him staring. Silently, she nods towards the movie screen as if to say, 'hey, idiot, pay attention.' He hears her voice in his head like they're working some kind of telepathy magic, and he can't help but grin as he turns away. She presses her shoulder against his, and it's—nice.

It's not that Luke's place as Annabeth's boyfriend had prohibited any touching between Percy and his best friend, but it feels nice to be able to touch without worrying if Luke'll be cross with both of them. He nudges her with his shoulder, and she mirrors the action.

There's a fluttering in his chest that can only be a side effect of the happiness that comes along with spending some much needed time with Annabeth. He's missed their best friend outings.

Percy does try to pay attention to the movie, but he's more distracted by the way he can feel the heat of her skin through two layers of fabric.

;;

Annabeth leans her head against his shoulder on the drive home, which can't be comfortable while he's shifting gears. She doesn't move anyways.

;;

Annabeth is dedicated to her studies, determined to get the best scholarships out there and attend a prestigious school, but Percy's never seen her like this. She's immersed in her economics textbook, having no reaction when he says her name.

_Cute_, Percy thinks, then backpedals with surprising speed. _Cute?_ he asks himself, still staring at the way her eyebrows are knitted in concentration, still watching how she always has her hand ready to turn the next page, and still tracking the way her eyes flit across the page, absorbing the words. She adjusts her reading glasses absently. _Cute_, his mind affirms.

_Okay,_ Percy decides, even if he's never really associated the word with Annabeth. _Cute_. He can work with that.

She glances up then, catching his gaze. "Oh, sorry, did you say something?"

"I was just wondering if you were hungry," Percy says, closing his own textbook. "Thirsty?"

She hums, but shakes her head. "I'm fine."

"Are you _sure_?'' Percy says, dragging out the last word and nudging her calf with his near-hypothermic toes. She slaps his feet away. "Because I'm hungry."

Annabeth sighs and takes her glasses off, looking every bit like a peeved parent. "Percy, if you're hungry, you can eat without me."

He frowns at her. She frowns back. "I know you're hungry, too, you just don't know you are because you're in your zone thing."

"My zone thing," Annabeth repeats, but she smiles like she knows exactly what he's talking about.

"Your zone thing," Percy echoes, nodding once before standing and patting her leg twice. "Now, come on. Food."

They have a feast of macaroni and cheese and Zebra Cakes. Even if Annabeth's been around him near constantly for the past three weeks, Percy can't help but feel crestfallen when she announces that it's time she head home. Annabeth leaves with a promise to return sometime soon, rolling her eyes when he complains. "I'll see you tomorrow at school," she reminds him, pushing a blonde curl out of her eyes.

For some reason, it doesn't feel soon enough. She hugs him tightly before she leaves, waving over her shoulder with a grin. _Cute_, his mind says again. Percy shuts the door and spends a full minute leaning his head on it in an attempt to get himself together.

;;

"You seem happy," his mother comments the next week over Saturday morning breakfast. Annabeth's disappeared off to his room, apparently in search of a hoodie to fight off the cold air in their home.

"I missed hanging out with her so much," Percy responds with a shrug. "I never realized how much time Luke consumed, I guess?"

His mom smiles and gives him a glass of orange juice. "Well, I'm happy to see you two are spending so much time together. You _both_ look happier, if you ask me."

Percy wants to linger on that comment, but Annabeth returns clad in his favorite jacket. Usually he would complain, but the sleeves are hanging off her hands a little, and it's… cute. Which is a word he has decidedly made his peace with.

Before he can embarrass himself by getting caught staring, his mother asks him what board game they want to play today. In sync, Percy and Annabeth reply with "Monopoly."

Annabeth says Monopoly because she finds the game interesting and time consuming. Percy says Monopoly because he knows Annabeth enjoys it.

;;

"Help me with my homework," Percy demands, not budging from his place in front of her locker. "Please."

Annabeth sighs, even if Percy knows she likes teaching people and especially doesn't mind when he asks for assistance. "What is it?"

"Graphing parabolas," Percy answers, smiling down at her. He remembers how proud he felt when he finally surpassed her height-wise, remembers the way Annabeth scowled up at him on the days he decided to point it out.

"Graphing is simple, if you remember the steps." He finally moves, letting her into her locker. "It's been a while since I've done it. Do you have notes?"

"Some," Percy says honestly, offering up a sheepish smile. Annabeth sighs like he's the largest inconvenience in her life, and he might be, but Percy knows she kind of likes it.

"We'll work on it tonight. When's the test?"

He fakes a cough. "Tomorrow."

"_Percy_!"

"I didn't—"

"Percy," Annabeth chastises, slapping his shoulder half-heartedly. "I swear, I don't know how you're passing any of your classes."

"Mostly because of you and your wonderful help," he says, giving her what he hopes is an angelic smile.

She narrows her eyes at him. "Flattery gets you everywhere, doesn't it?"

;;

Flattery just might get Percy everywhere. By five o'clock that afternoon, he knows how to graph parabolas.

She stays for dinner, then for a movie per Sally's request. Annabeth's always welcome at the Jackson residence; she could stay for fifty years without wearing out her welcome.

They watch Notting Hill because it's one of Sally's favorites, and Percy's come to love it as well. Annabeth sits right next to him, even if there's plenty of room for the both of them to sprawl out of the couch.

She mutters offhand comments here and there that make Percy snicker quietly. Sally gives them a curious look after one particularly loud batch of giggles, and he waves her off.

By the end of the film, Percy's left foot is tucked beneath his right leg, and Annabeth's head is resting against his thigh. Judging by her leveled breathing and near silence, he's assuming she's fallen asleep.

Sally coos when she looks over at them, confirming his thoughts. She looks ready to pull out her phone and snap a picture. "That's just sweet."

Percy rolls his eyes good-naturedly, but he guesses it is a little sweet. His leg's half asleep, too, but Annabeth's rest is more important. He's not bothered.

;;

"Where do you think you'll go?" Annabeth questions, flipping through the scattered college pamphlets on the desk in the corner of his room.

If Percy's being honest, he's not entirely sure. "Whoever will take me," he decides. "Probably going to do community college for two years then transfer, though."

Annabeth nods. "As long as you aren't too far from me."

Percy smiles softly at her from where he's propping himself up on his elbows atop his bed. "Nah, never," he replies. It sounds casual, contrasting the heartfelt meaning. Annabeth falls face-first onto his bed, squirming out of reach when he pokes at her side with his toes.

She lifts her head, if only to glare at him, but she ends up smiling when Percy laughs at her disgruntled expression. "You're the worst," she informs him, without much bite.

"Tell me about it," he intones sympathetically, dropping his elbows so that he falls flat on his back. "Senior year is going by pretty fast."

Annabeth inches up the bed until they're side by side. "Yeah it is. Faster than even eighth grade."

Eighth grade was all but a blink of an eye, Percy thinks, looking back on it. He had been in such a hurry to get to high school, having convinced himself that it would be so much better than Mendler Middle. It wasn't, not really, but something in him regrets the way he had spent the entirety of his eighth grade year wishing he could be in ninth grade. It feels like time wasted.

Then again, eighth grade had been… Different. Annabeth started to go to Luke's house more than his; spent a lot of the summer lounging around her boyfriend rather than her best friend. Percy hadn't been too bothered at the time, but now something tugs in his stomach, something that's entirely unpleasant and upset that he missed out on so much time with her. He knows how hard it is to keep an equilibrium between significant others and friends, or at least, he's heard enough people complain about it, so he can't blame her. Still, he finds himself scowling.

He feels Annabeth watching him before he turns to look at her. As soon as he meets her eyes, she breaks out into a grin. "Remember the tree branch? When we were twelve?"

Percy huffs out a laugh, shaking his head. "Twelve was a bad age. We were so stupid. We picked the flimsiest tree out there to climb."

Annabeth doesn't laugh, but her smile is radiant enough to serve as one. "Twelve was a _great_ age. We were just a little too daring."

"I wasn't daring at all," Percy tells her. "I was mostly just following you around because I thought you were cool."

"Awww!" Annabeth pinches his cheek, but not for long before he bats her hand away, looking up to the ceiling fan. "That's so cute. You thought I was cool?"

"Emphasis on the past tense," Percy grumbles, but his smile deceives him.

She chuckles, shuffling closer to him. He, stupidly, turns to her, knowing that their faces won't be more than an inch apart.

Percy's never had issues with personal space; if anything, he has no concept of it. He's the kind of guy that doesn't really see much reason for hostility and absolutely loves people, oftentimes finding it hard to feel uncomfortable around them, even if they're strangers. Regardless of his indifferent attitude to personal space, he stops breathing when their proximity registers.

Weirdly enough, Percy envisions himself leaning forward and _kissing _her. It's a pull that's so foreign and almost bizarre that he abruptly faces the ceiling again, pulse just a little too fast to be classified as normal.

Neither of them speak, but Annabeth presses her forehead against his shoulder. He exhales.

;;

Percy may not be the brightest kid in the world, which is why it takes him over a month to realize that his feelings for Annabeth have changed. Naturally, he goes to his mom first.

"Mom, can I ask you something?" Percy slumps down into what, at some point, they started referring to as Annabeth's recliner.

His mom holds up a polite finger, probably finishing the paragraph in her book. It's not long before she marks the page and looks up at him. "Yes?"

When Percy had entered the living room, he came with a very precise idea of what he was going to say. However, now that he's trying to put the words to use, he finds it's a lot more difficult than he expected.

Maintaining her place as the best person in the world, his mom sets her book aside. "What's it about?"

_Right_, Percy thinks. Starting vague and getting specific. This might work better. "Annabeth."

"Ah," his mother says, as if she knew the answer before he said it. Percy's never been good at keeping emotion off his face, so he wouldn't be surprised if she was well aware long before he spoke up. "What about her?"

He tugs at his ear. "I've been feeling… weird. Around her." After it occurs to him how incredibly lame that sounds, he decides to amend the statement. "I don't know how to really describe it. But, like, I keep thinking she's cute. And the other day I think I wanted to kiss her. Which is just—_weird_."

He tells his mother almost everything, so it's almost a relief to share the new developments with her. Her expression is carefully controlled, which makes him a little nervous, for whatever reason. "And?"

"And it's weird," he repeats. "Because I've never particularly wanted to kiss her. Or really thought that much about her appearance? Like, I'm not stupid, I have a feeling of what it means. It's just…"

"Weird," his mother supplies. He nods immediately, face feeling hot. "Have you talked to her about it?" Percy shakes his head. "Are you going to?"

"She got out of a six-year relationship seven weeks ago," Percy says flatly, knowing his mother means well. "I'm thinking it's not in the cards."

Sally is quiet for a moment, contemplative. "And you've never felt like this around her? _Ever_?"

Percy pauses, rolling through the years in his mind, picking out specific memories and dissecting them. There's a few times where he's felt overwhelmingly proud of her, not-so-few times where he's felt waves of fondness, but no sweaty palms or quickening pulses—nothing like now. "Not that I recall. At least until recently." He looks at his mom helplessly. He's not _scared_ to like Annabeth; Percy's never regretted a single one of his crushes and refuses to blame himself for emotions he has no control over. Percy loves their friendship though, and quite honestly feels bad for the friends who don't have a dynamic like theirs. It's the last thing he wants to lose.

"And it's been recently? How recent?" She leans forward, interested, and Percy's almost positive he's blushing as he backtracks through the past few months.

"Right around the time she told me that she didn't want to be with Luke anymore," Percy says, after a few minutes. He drops his face into his hands. "I'm a horrible person."

Sally tuts. "You told Annabeth a million times that she couldn't control who she did or didn't love. The same rule applies to you, Percy."

"I don't love her," he stammers. "At least not—like. It's a stupid crush. I think it's a phase."

"A phase," Sally echoes, sounding skeptical.

"I don't have another way to explain it," Percy very nearly whines, scrubbing his hands over his face and feeling something akin to guilt. This is the last thing he and Annabeth need; some inconvenient feelings edging their way into his conscious mind. His best friend's just gone through a major break-up, even if Luke chose a different word for it. They'll be off to college soon, potentially on other sides of the country. The absolute _last_ thing they need is Percy developing a sudden infatuation with his best friend.

"Maybe you just like her," his mother suggests with a shrug. "I thought you always did, honestly."

Percy scrubs his hands down his face. "That's dumb," he informs his mom, without glancing up. "I would have told you."

"I figured it was something you preferred to keep to yourself." Sally clears her throat, so he finally looks up at her. "This is what people mean when they say relationships and friendships aren't that different. Friendly love and romantic love tend to look the same on people."

He sighs into his palms, groaning quietly. "She's going to kill me."

Sally laughs, amused. "I doubt it. Annabeth doesn't seem like the type to kill people because they like her."

_Well_, Percy thinks idly, _she did punch me that one time in fifth grade when I said I liked her as a friend._ He wouldn't put it beneath her. "Maybe."

"Oh, kiddo," his mother says, standing so that she can sit beside him on the couch. He returns the hug she gives him, and really, Percy loves his mom more than anything. She pets his hair, humming quietly. "You can't blame yourself for this."

"If anything it's her fault," Percy grumbles petulantly. "She's all… You know. Her."

His mom laughs warmly, smoothing his hair once more before letting him go. She smiles at her son for a moment before sobering up. "It's really not your fault. Just like how you can't decide who you love—or like—you can't choose the timing either." Percy nods, knowing she's right, but it doesn't ease the churning in his stomach. "You two remind me so much of these two characters I had in my first book," she muses, lacing her hands in her lap. "They were background characters, but their story was so nice. I wish I would have saved it for a different novel."

Percy sniffs without reason. "What were they like?"

"Oh, well they had been friends for a while, worked together for a few years and even lived together for a couple of months when he was looking for a new apartment after getting thrown out of his old complex," Sally rambles, eyes far away. "They'd been a lot like you and Annabeth. Together a lot of the time but not really feeling much beyond the realm of friendship."

It sounds familiar enough. Percy hadn't even considered crossing the bridge from platonic to romantic until a few weeks ago. "How did it end?"

"Oh, she died," Sally says, waving it off. Percy's heart drops. "Not implying that Annabeth will," she backtracks, smiling at his pained expression. "But, the guy—David—doesn't realize that he loved her until after she's gone."

"That's horrible," Percy accuses, frowning. "Mom, why did you write that? It's so sad."

"Love can be a tragedy," she says lightly, leveling him with a look. "If David would have bided his time, he might have been able to make them a little less tragic."

Percy catches on. "You think I should tell her."

"I think you should do what feels right," Sally amends, ruffling his hair. She looks almost nostalgic for a second. "You're all grown up, aren't you?"

He groans, even if seeing his mom misty-eyed leaves him a little emotional too. "_Mom_," he says, somehow managing splitting the word into three syllables. "No crying. At least not until I graduate."

She sniffles, so he gives her another hug. His mom's been there for him no matter what, which, he supposes, is her job as a parent on some levels. However, he knows that he got lucky with her—after all, not everyone has a mom that'll talk through girl problems with him and make him homemade cookies when she sees it fit.

As if she can hear his thoughts, Sally pulls out of the hug and stands. "I'll make us some cookies," she says decisively. Percy has a feeling she's going to tear up a little more in the kitchen, but he lets her go anyways.

;;

"Everything alright?" Annabeth asks, after Percy adjusts the AC for the sixth time. They're heading for the beach for the Jacksons' annual family reunion. Annabeth, as always, was invited and is attending.

The thing is, the entire ride there, he's been flip-flopping between hot and cold. Mostly because Annabeth's in shorts—and it's not the first time he's seen her in them, honestly, he's probably seen her in even less modesty—but that doesn't mean he's immune. Especially what with the new changes in his feelings for her.

Percy isn't a huge fan of using the word 'hot' to describe girls; he's always thought of it as a little crude and derogatory, even if it might not be. Annabeth, though—she's certainly something of that realm. His heart is alternating between not beating at all and beating too fast.

"Fine," he answers, after a very pronounced delay. Even if she's wearing sunglasses, Percy knows she gave him an unconvinced look. "Really. I'm just feeling kind of sick."

"Want me to drive?"

Percy shakes his head. "No, no. I'm fine, really. Besides, you can't drive stick anyways.." Best that he has something to do with his hands, at least, or he'll _really_ be adjusting the AC every three seconds.

"Are you sure?"

He obediently slows down after spotting the yellow light, even if he could probably make it across the intersection in time. Giving her what he hopes is a convincing smile, he nods. "I'm sure. Sorry."

"You're being weird," she sing-songs, but doesn't press the matter any further. "I like that it's finally getting warm outside again, personally."

"It's always warm outside," Percy comments. It's one of the perks and downfalls of residing in Florida.

Annabeth's elbow presses against his on the center console, and it probably is a little too hot to be exchanging body heat. He can't find it in himself to pull away regardless. "I mean really warm. Like, _worth going to the beach for a few hours_ warm. Even if you can technically go to the beach in December here."

Percy loves when it gets closer to summer. There's beach trips every day after school, sometimes knocking off seventh period just to spend a few extra minutes out in the sun. Florida is beautiful year round, but it's radiant in the summer time; entirely in it's element and attracting visitors from all over the world. Percy and Annabeth like to guess which people are tourists, oftentimes thinking of witty comments that leave them both in stitches.

The family reunions have gotten thinner and thinner as the years go by. Some of his family have passed away and some are too busy to make the trip down to Florida for a weekend. Percy gets it, but that doesn't mean he's not a little saddened when he arrives to only six people.

There's his Aunt Sharon and his Uncle Steven—who is really a family friend and not blood related at all—and a few of his cousins lounging underneath the pavillion. He latches onto Annabeth's hand and drags her over to greet his family. They remember her, of course, welcoming her with open arms. Sharon and Annabeth lapse into a conversation about college, so Percy releases her hand and wanders over to his cousins.

They're all a year or two younger than him, but he finds that there's still striking similarities between all of them. He promises Calvin that they'll surf before the day's over—his mom's arriving with food and other beach necessities a few hours behind him—and vows to mail his old iPod to Hailey, who broke hers on the drive down from Georgia.

He asks them how school is going and they give the customary answers. He's never been a sparkling conversationalist, but the group manages to kill an hour before Annabeth appears at his side.

"Hi!" he says brightly, patting the bench next to him. "This is Calvin and Hailey, both are Sharon's kids, and Georgia is Steven's. Marianne's on my mom's side, but her parents are going to be here later."

Annabeth waves at them. "I'm Annabeth."

"We know," Marianne says drily, giving her an amicable nod. "He's only mentioned you thirty times in the past hour."

"_Hey_," Percy warns, laughing regardless. "She comes up in conversation a lot."

"Do I?" Annabeth sounds amused, resting her elbow on his shoulder. He rolls his eyes with a smile before asking Calvin about the swim competition he mentioned in passing earlier.

Annabeth and Marianne get on famously, but he figures it's just Annabeth's pull. She has a way of appealing to almost anyone, finding some sort of connection with every person she ends up talking to. Once there's a lull in all of their conversations, Georgia suggests heading down to the beach, and the weather's far too nice to decline the suggestion.

Aunt Sharon and Uncle Steven hang back to greet his mother when she arrives. All of the teens carry on idle chatter as they make their way down the water, soaking in the sun and the atmosphere of the beach. Annabeth stops Percy a few feet from the waves rolling in, and he lets his toes dip into the damp sand briefly. "Hey, hey," she says, stepping in front of him and forcing him to stop walking. "Retie my bathing suit."

Percy stares down at the black strings and suddenly forgets how to tie the most basic of knots. Her skin his very tan, and there's a lot of it showing. "Uh," he starts, brushing something imaginary off his shoulder.

"Oh, right, sorry," she mutters, pulling her hair out of the way and misinterpreting his silence.

He can do this. He can tie a knot without falling over or leaning down and biting her shoulder, or something. He'll be alright.

Annabeth throws an elbow back, jolting him into action. "I don't have all day," she complains, laughing.

He reties her bathing suit without incident and thanks the high heavens that his hands don't even shake. Someone is blessing him right now. "There you go," he says, patting her bare shoulder twice. They've both opted for tank tops, more than aware of how unbearably hot it can get on beaches. He'll probably spontaneously combust before the day's over.

They waste time wandering up and down the beach, being sure to keep an eye on the younger kids, even if he's sure they can handle themselves. "Less people showed up this year," Annabeth mentions idly, reminiscent of Percy's earlier thoughts.

He nods. "Yeah, I noticed. It's kinda sad. I'm sure they've got good reason, though."

"They have good reasons," Annabeth corrects. Percy throws an arm over her shoulder and pulls her in for a side hug for no true reason. Maybe he's a little greedy with his touches, especially in this light where Annabeth's glinting like gold, a little blinding. He needs Annabeth-glasses, or something.

"Annabeth-glasses," he says aloud, knowing that she won't have a clue what he means by it. She laughs anyways, raising her eyebrows in a silent question that he won't end up answering.

She's pretty. In a really gentle, almost unnoticeable way; a way that could be easily overlooked. Annabeth's clearly not unattractive, but one might miss the barely visible freckles on the apples of her cheeks, or mistake her eyes for a pale blue instead of a grey—which are probably two of his favorite things about her appearance. Percy's skin feels hot, so he decides it's time to get in the ocean.

"Come on," he says, nodding towards the water. "Might as well while we're here."

Percy has, thankfully, seen Annabeth in a bathing suit enough times that he can talk himself into ignoring it. He just makes it a point to meet her eyes when they talk, or chooses to let his gaze fall on something just over her shoulder. It's not half as difficult as he thought it would be, reining himself back in. Himself being Totally Relaxed Best Friend Percy Who Is Not Distressed By Long And Tan Legs.

They wade out until their up to their shoulders, adjusting to the chill of the water. "I love the beach," Percy says merrily, turning in a slow circle. Something brushes his leg, making him tense up before he realizes it's Annabeth toes. "This is happy times."

"_These_ _are _happy times, honestly Percy—"

He takes the golden opportunity to dunk her under the water, partially as revenge for correcting him. She sputters when she resurfaces, shoving at his chest blindly and wiping her eyes. He laughs until she pushes him under, too.

They spend a few moments splashing each other childishly before he catches hold of her wrists, clasping them together loosely and blinking the sting out of his eyes. "Ouch," he informs her.

"You started it," she retorts, tugging her hands out of his grip. She bites her lip in concentration as she ties up her hair. "I have saltwater in my nose."

"You are not alone," he says darkly, rubbing his eyes. "I regret this somewhat."

Annabeth scoffs, involuntarily veering closer to him due to the push of a wave. He catches her before their foreheads collide, hands latching onto her waist. She smiles at him, a blonde curl falling out of her ponytail, and if he were standing on land without the water to catch him, he most likely would have collapsed.

He lets his thumbs run over her stomach, deciding he's not that on board with the thought of releasing her. Finding his footing on the sand floor, Percy lets his eyes flit over her face in an attempt to read her expression. She doesn't seem adverse to the way he's holding her—if anything, Annabeth looks bemused—so Percy decides not to make a big deal out of it either. "Hi," Annabeth says, thoughtfully. His hands follow her inhales and exhales, clinging to her ribcage.

"Yeah, hey," he answers, tightening his grip as a particularly brutal wave sweeps over them. He purses his lips to keep the saltwater out of his mouth. "How goes it?"

"It's good," Annabeth replies, eyes lighting up at their small talk. One of her hands latches onto his wrist beneath the surface, and she uses it to steady herself. "How are you?"

"A little cold," he admits, chin shaking as proof. "Warming up, though."

"Yeah?" she asks.

Percy nods sharply. "Yeah."

Annabeth looks at him in a way that makes his stomach turn over. Her lips have water droplets clinging to them and he wants to kiss them off. "Having fun?"

"Tons," Percy tells her with honesty. He always has fun with Annabeth. "And you?"

"Could be better." She lifts one shoulder, and Percy walks them backwards a little to get steadier footing, hands still resting in the curves of her sides. She steps on his feet, her grip on his wrist tightening and loosening when she maintains balance, still not letting go. He feels what's hopefully a seashell beneath his foot, fruitlessly attempting to grasp it with his toes. "Luke called me last night."

He knows it would be too obvious if he jerked away, so he forces himself to keep a steady hold on her. Annabeth looks upset, too, like she would rather talk about anything else. He knows she always feels better after she talks something through, no matter how stubborn she can be about it during, so he responds with an unassuming "Yeah?"

"He was a little drunk, I think. Mostly just sad, rambling on and on about us." Percy feels undeniably guilty again, almost as if the separation is his fault, even if he was barely involved. "Kept asking if we're going to get back together."

"Are you?" he questions, hesitantly, glancing at the light freckles clustered beneath her eyes. Percy isn't so sure he wants the answer, not anymore.

Annabeth bites the inside of her cheek, holds onto his wrist that much tighter. He reciprocates the action by gripping her sides a little more firmly. "I don't know."

Percy nods, staring down into the water. He can see Annabeth's toes where they're pressing down on his, if he tries hard enough. "Do you want to?" And this is the answer Percy definitely doesn't want, especially if it's affirmative. He knows he would be fine if Annabeth went back to Luke. He was only her best friend once and he's positive he could go right back to it, if needed. The 'what if's would probably kill him in the end, sure, but he'd rather play the part Annabeth needs him to than be assigned no role at all.

A wave momentarily drowns them, eliciting a short coughing fit from both of them. "Do I want to what?"

"Get back together with him," Percy clarifies, eyes watering from all the coughing. His voice sounds far away. It's a high probability that there's water in his ears.

Annabeth looks away, expression fading from strong and determined to conflicted and nearly fragile. If Percy were brave enough, he'd hug her. It's intoxicating as it is, just touching this much skin. "I don't know," she confesses. "I don't know anything."

Percy smiles and laughs, drumming his fingertips against her back. Slowly, he lets her go, allowing a wave to shift him further away. She doesn't release his wrist, so he grabs onto hers too, keeping them connected in the rolling waves. "I bet you know 40 times 62," he says, trying his best to keep the saltwater out of his mouth and nose. "And what the capital of Idaho is."

"It's 2480," Annabeth says, then huffs out a laugh. "Does anyone know the capital of Idaho? Even I can't remember."

He laughs with her, squeezing her wrist before pulling out of her grasp entirely. "C'mon, I bet Mom's here."

;;

Sally's long since arrived, apparently, greeting them both with a hug. "How's the water?"

"Warm," Annabeth says, at the same time Percy says "Cold."

Annabeth nudges him with her elbow. "Big baby." He sighs but smiles, asking his mom where he can find the food.

Percy and Annabeth are among the last eating. There's close to fifteen people that have turned up by now, and the two of them offer their greetings through mouthfuls of food.

"I love your family," Annabeth says, after about half of them sprint off for the water. "They're all so much like you. I feel like I'm surrounded by 15 Percys."

Percy laughs, a little bewildered. "That sounds like a terrifying nightmare." He thinks one of him is more than enough. After all, the world doesn't need more guilt-ridden teens half in love with their best friend. There's surely a surplus of those without his contribution.

Annabeth shrugs. "I think it's nice."

He flicks a bit of lettuce at her. "That's because you're a very, very demented girl." He's a little proud that he used the word demented. Annabeth looks a little proud, too.

His family stays until the sun leaves the sky and the moon takes it's place. His mother's getting tired, Percy can tell, and Annabeth's been clinging to his arm for a while like she can't support her own weight. The drive home is just under a half-hour, so he's not too worried about making it home without falling asleep at the wheel, but it'll be a while before he sees so much of his family again.

It takes at least an hour to say their goodbyes and pack up their belongings. He gives Calvin his number and asks for updates on the swim season, hugs all of his cousins three times each, and spends twenty minutes talking to his Aunt Sharon. Annabeth's right, in some ways, Percy is a lot like the rest of his family. There's been moments where he's felt like the odd one out at school, but when he's with his family, he slots right into place.

"Sleepy, sleepy," Annabeth mumbles on the walk to his car, beach bag slung over her shoulder. "So sleepy."

Percy smiles a little tiredly himself, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "We'll be home soon." He's hoping that's something he can say years in the future. It would be nice, Percy thinks, to share a home with Annabeth just like the characters in his mom's book. Not necessarily as married or even together, though Percy isn't entirely opposed to domestic bliss. Annabeth's presence in general would suffice.

"I should text him back," she mutters against his shoulder. "He asked me how I was a few hours ago."

Percy pulls Annabeth closer to his side, pinching her shoulder. She makes a small sound of annoyance. "You should do whatever you want," he advises. "And whatever you're comfortable with. Don't do something because you think it'll make him happy."

"I've never been the people pleaser," Annabeth tells him with a soft snort. "That was always you."

Percy will freely admit that; he likes seeing people happy. Well, he likes people in general—finds them interesting and rude and confusing and a million other things, but he especially likes when they're smiling or, at the very least, enjoying themselves.

He decides to modify the statement. "Do whatever you think you should. It'll be the right thing in the end."

"You are too confident in my decision making skills," Annabeth tells him, but she sounds grateful. "I think I'll at least let him know I'm alive."

She searches for her phone in their beach bag, finally grasping onto it. As soon as Annabeth lifts it out of the bag, she fumbles it, the device falling to the ground. It's dark outside, so they hear it hit the sand more than they really see it.

They crouch down to find it, completely in sync. Percy slides his hands through the sand, coming up empty, but he does find Annabeth's leg. He curls his hand around her thigh, steadying himself and pausing to let his eyes adjust to the darkness. "You _would_ drop your phone right now."

"It's dark and I'm tired," Annabeth defends herself, leaning further into his space so she can check around his feet. "You've dropped your phone in broad daylight."

Percy thinks he spots her phone, finally, but ends up with a dark-colored seashell in his hand. He offers it to Annabeth wordlessly and she holds a palm out, waiting for him to drop it. "Thanks."

"Don't thank me yet," Percy says with humor. "It's pretty dark out here. That thing could be ugly."

"Yeah, but I'll like it anyways because you gave it to me," Annabeth says nonchalantly, cheering to herself and brandishing her phone. "I'll bet the screen is gloriously scratched."

Percy doubts it, but he leans closer to see the damage while she presses a button to bring the screen to life. There's still a layer of sand on it, so she brushes it off with her thumb. "Not too bad," he declares. "Could be worse. It's not cracked, anyways."

Annabeth nods, and Percy's so far in her space that her temple hits his. He sits back on his heels reflexively, pulling his hand off Annabeth's leg while he's at it. Percy needs to control all of these subconscious touches, really. "Yeah, could be worse." She brings up her messages, presumably answering Luke, so Percy stands to his feet.

She offers him her hand as a cue to help her up, and he does without much thought—he'd always help her up, probably, and he can't decide if that's a good thing or if it's pathetic. Annabeth stumbles once she's upright, crashing against his chest, and Percy himself loses his footing for a scary moment before he stabilizes them both. "What is wrong with you?" he asks, half-laughing. "You're stealing my title as the clumsy one."

Annabeth goes quiet before she abruptly hugs him close, dropping the beach bag in lieu of curling her arms around his neck. She exhales raggedly, like she's suppressing the urge to cry. "Hey," he says gently and anxiously, smoothing a hand over her back. "You alright?"

Annabeth shakes her head, Percy's sure, but all he feels is her chin digging into his shoulder. "'M not so alright," she tells him, and he knows how much it takes out of her to admit something like that.

"Okay." He keeps her close, not minding when she latches onto the collar of his shirt like she's holding on for dear life.

He figures Annabeth'll tell him why if she's feeling up to it. There's a good chance that she's not, though, given her lack of sleep. "Too much has been happening lately," she says, loosening her arms so that she can curl closer to his chest, trying to make herself smaller. "And the next few months are going to be crazy because of college and graduation and exams, and you—" She stops abruptly and mutters something unintelligible.

Percy hurts for Annabeth sometimes. He knows he has a substantial amount of empathy on his own, but it's heightened when he's around Annabeth. "It's alright," he mumbles comfortingly. "It always works out in the end. Deal with one thing at a time, you know, don't look at it all at once."

Annabeth nods from her place beneath his chin, pulling back without moving out of his embrace. "It's weird without Luke," she confesses. He hates that he can't see well enough to meet her eyes. "I know I made the right decision, because it wasn't right for me to string him along like that, but it's still weird."

"It will be for a while. He's been around for a long time. It'll take you time to get used to him not being there. And I know you will eventually," Percy says with confidence.

Annabeth nods, sniffing suspiciously and staring adamantly at the ground. "I'm not even sad that we broke up," she says, brokenly. "I feel so bad that I don't feel bad."

Percy wants to laugh at how ridiculous the sentence sounds, but Annabeth's distress takes precedence. "Can't help how you feel," he reminds her with a shrug. "Look, no matter what you feel or don't feel towards Luke, it doesn't matter. You did what you thought was right and one day you'll find out whether or not is was the best for you both." Percy takes a hand off her back, tapping underneath her chin until she's stopped admiring the ground. "So stop falling apart on me, for God's sake," he adds, teasingly.

Annabeth huffs out a tear-ridden laugh. "Sorry, sorry."

"I would totally wipe away your tears and all, but I'm at least 80% sure I have sand on my hands. And I don't think you want that in your eyes right now."

She gives a more genuine laugh this time. "Yeah, no. Thanks for the consideration."

"Thanks for existing," he returns, resting his forehead on hers. He's a little close, sure, but he's also drowsy and buzzed from Annabeth being so close to him for as many hours as she has. "And stop beating yourself up for how you feel."

He knows why Annabeth has so many issues with emotions: they aren't something conventionally controlled. They can be reined in or reduced, but very rarely can they be forced away without a trace remaining. Annabeth's all about control, so it's not shocking that her frustration centers around the one thing that she can't.

He feels Annabeth nod and doesn't see it at all because his eyes are closed, enjoying the thrill he's getting from just standing _near_ her—almost light headed, in a good way. Percy's opening his mouth to say something else that'll hopefully make her laugh enough to brighten her mood for the remainder of the day, but something stops him.

More specifically, there's breath ghosting over his lips and a hand inching it's way up to his jaw. Before he can even decide whether or not he wants to stop it, Annabeth's lips are on his.

She kisses him forcefully for a second, and it's all wrong. His mind goes blank, pure nothingness and oblivion, and Percy would probably fear that he passed out if it weren't for the insistent lips pressing against his.

His face heats up almost violently, like a simulation of sunburn, one hand hovering around her shoulder. He has yet to decide whether or not he wants to shove her away or tug her closer; hasn't even decided whether or not it's alright to kiss her back at this point.

Annabeth shifts backwards like she plans on stepping away entirely, and somehow the reaction makes up his mind for him. He pulls her in by the nape of her neck, pausing briefly before he leans down and kisses back.

_Weird_, is the first word that comes to his mind. Her lips are soft and gentler against his now, fingertips dipping below the collar of his t-shirt. He's breathing in what she exhales which should probably freak him out a little, but he quickly learns that he's not all that concerned with breathing in general.

_Cute_, is the second, more fitting word that runs through his brain. She's running her thumb across his jaw in a way that makes his chest burn. Annabeth's nose keeps bumping against his, and it would be annoying if it weren't for the way she modified the angle out of frustration each time. He ends up chuckling after the fourth time she does it, lifting a hand up to her cheek to tilt her face back.

Annabeth doesn't open her eyes, so he presses light kisses to each of her eyelids. He could roll with kissing Annabeth again, probably, but he needs a good second to breathe and at least a few minutes to comprehend. His hand is quivering the smallest bit when he pushes his hair out of his face. "Okay," he mutters, more to himself than to Annabeth, "okay, okay, okay."

He separates himself from her entirely, kneeling down to gather up their beach bag. In all the commotion, a few things have fallen out. He feels weightless and a little dizzy, his limbs not having quite the control that they should and a giddy smile itching to cross his face.

"I'm sorry," Annabeth blurts while he's standing up.

Percy can't see her expression as clearly as he'd like in the dark lighting, but his stomach doesn't seem to like her apology. "Don't be," he says, after a second. Percy considers dropping a kiss to corner of her mouth as a reassurance, but decides that his hesitation is reason enough not to follow through. "Come on."

Annabeth follows him to the car, arms crossed as the walks a few feet behind him. He stuffs the beach bag in the backseat and checks his phone for any missed calls before the starts the car.

Annabeth looks out the window most of the ride home and Percy doesn't press her for a million answers she won't feel like giving. At least, Percy thinks, he kissed her for a few minutes. He can drag out that memory for a lifetime if it never happens again.

He figures they'll talk in the morning, when it's a little easier to see each other and their thoughts are a little less sleep muddled. Percy heard once that things are more lucid in the daylight. He's pretty sure it's his mother who said it.

He walks Annabeth to his room, even if she's made the journey herself enough times to do it blindfolded, more likely than not. Once he's sure that she has her standard request of two pillows for a good night's sleep, he pulls a dresser drawer open. "I think some of your stuff is in here anyways, but if not you can just wear something of mine. As usual," he tacks on.

Annabeth nods wordlessly.

Percy bites the inside of his cheek so sharply that he tastes blood. It's a little unpleasant. This is something that Percy found himself terrified of; a step forward in the romance division and ten steps back in the friendship department. He's positive that he would prefer never kissing her again over losing their close bond.

"Alright," he says after a second, and he'll confess that a hint of frustration is showing through in his tone. "Well, goodnight."

"Night," Annabeth answers. Which is exactly the third word she's uttered since they kissed. She's doing wonders for his mental stability. Silence is so far from golden, especially with Annabeth.

Percy leaves his room without another word, and ducks into the bathroom, sweatpants tucked underneath his arm. He changes his pants with ease but runs into a little trouble when his shirt clings to his sunburned back.

_No shirt_, he decides, glancing at his reddened back in the mirror. It'll have tanned over within a day.

Percy sleeps on the couch chest-down because he'd rather not spend the night writhing in pain. Eventually, he falls asleep, face pressed into the couch cushion that's sure to give him a few interesting markings on his face in the morning.

;;

He wakes up to the smell of coffee and his first thought is _no_, because not only is the aroma reaching him but the sound of the coffee brewing is, too. Which means it's still being made, which means it's 8 A.M. because his mom is an early bird and refuses to sleep past this hour.

He groans, the sound muffled by the cushion, curling further into the couch and pulling his blanket over his head. He is _tired_.

It takes him a good ten minutes to gather his bearings. Bearings including a few choice events from the previous day, like hands on the soft expanse of Annabeth's stomach and an arm wrapped around her shoulder for the better part of the day. There's a kiss in there, too. Percy would think it a dream if he couldn't still feel the way she tugged at his shirt collar, nails barely brushing the skin underneath.

Percy rubs at his collarbone absently. There's not a chance Annabeth's still asleep, and if it were any other day she would have already pounced on him, cruelly pressing down on his sunburn and hugging him as a half-hearted apology after.

He wonders how long he can hide underneath the blanket.

"Percy! Breakfast!"

_No_, Percy mentally whines, frowning to himself, but he rolls off the couch anyways. He pulls a jacket out of the coat closet by the door, half because he knows his mother will reprimand him for arriving at the table shirtless and half because the walk back to his room is a long one and definitely not worth a mere shirt. He zips it up and cringes when the cool line of metal touches his skin.

"Morning, Mom," he greets, squeezing her shoulder when he reaches up to find a coffee cup.

"Morning, Percy," she answers, glancing around him. "Where's Annabeth?"

He can feel his cheeks heat up. He stares down at the coffee cup he grasped onto, and it's Annabeth's favorite one. Then Percy realizes that he doesn't even like coffee in the morning, and he's started preparing a cup for Annabeth out of blind habit.

He extracts his hand from the cup and steps back. Sally gives him a weird look, probably noticing that the redness to his cheeks isn't exactly sunburn. "Something I should know?"

"No, I feel fine," Percy blurts nervously, which doesn't really answer her question. "I'm gonna go... Annabeth."

Sally looks amused as she waves him off. "Go Annabeth, then. Don't let me hold you back."

Percy might be breaking out in hives. He exits the kitchen without a word.

Annabeth isn't sleeping, as Percy suspected. It's a wonder that his two favorite people are early risers when he can barely drag himself out of bed before noon. "Hey," he says, after a second.

She starts, looking up from her phone. "Hi," Annabeth answers, apparently feeling more vocal this morning. "Breakfast?"

"Breakfast," he affirms, watching as she unplugs her phone from his charger. He never minds when she borrows his things—actually, more recently, such actions have caused stupid smiles to spread across his face and linger for minutes on end. "Sleep well?"

Annabeth rolls her shoulders, presumably just as sunburned as himself. Her hair is half up in a ponytail and half out of it. A few particularly springy curls bounce when she slides off his bed. "I slept alright. You?"

"I've slept better," he responds, lifting a shoulder. He tips his head back a little. "Hurry up or else we'll spend all of breakfast listening to you complain about cold eggs."

He at least gets a small smile for his troubles. Annabeth isn't far behind him when he reenters the kitchen.

The majority of breakfast is spent weaving through idle conversation and infallibly avoiding each other's eyes when their toes knock together. If Sally notices anything strange in the air, she gracefully overlooks it and carries on as if it's any other weekend morning with Annabeth.

After Percy's finished off his French toast and thanked his mom three times for breakfast, he wanders into the living room and falls back onto the couch face-first, pulling his blanket tight around himself. He could go for a few more hours of sleep, definitely.

Percy's halfway to unconsciousness when someone sprawls across his back, without much consideration for his comfort. He groans into the couch, but ends up smiling anyways because _this_ is them, and this is how they are despite any and all romantic advancements. "Hey, get off me."

The back of Annabeth's skull knocks against his, hair tickling the back of his neck. She folds her arms beneath her head, virtually crushing him against the cushions, and sighs. "I'm thinking I'm pretty comfortable here."

If his arms weren't locked beneath them, he'd (gently) shove her off himself. "Anna_beth_," he whines. "My sunburn hurts."

"It's all tan now, I'm sure you're fine." She sounds smug. Percy thinks about the kiss. He can see himself kissing smug smiles right off her face.

Percy squirms for a moment before feigning defeat. "Fine. Have fun."

"Oh, I am," she says happily, digging an elbow into his back. "You're a comfy couch, Jackson."

"You're a horrible person," he informs her, shifting a few times to see if she'll tumble off after letting her guard down. She realizes his plan and tangles one of her feet with his to maintain her balance.

Percy sighs for what has to be a full twenty seconds. Annabeth laughs for twice as long.

"How are you?" Annabeth questions, and though her tone is a little teasing he can tell she's actually asking.

He shrugs the best that he can with a teenage girl lying across his body. Percy bites his lip a little before using his free foot to tap hers. He knows that he can't let her get away with pretending like it never happened, as much as he would like to leave the memory alone and let it be as it is. "Are we going to talk about it?"

Annabeth stills and waits a few long seconds before replying. "Are we?"

Percy sighs at her persisting habit of answering questions with questions. "Kind of feeling like we should."

"I said I was sorry," Annabeth bites out, irritated. "Really, what else is there for us to talk about?"

He scowls at that. "Because I don't think you should _feel_ sorry, that's why."

"It was just an in-the-moment thing. You said something, I kissed you, I apologized, it's done." She's hushed her tone, probably thinking of Sally a few dozen feet away.

Percy's pretty sure that she's missing a few key factors, such as _he kissed her, too_ and it wasn't just some knee-jerk reaction to kiss back. He turns his head as much as he can, pushing his toes against her calf in an attempt to convey his urgency. "Is that all we're saying?"

"Yes," Annabeth says decisively, but he can tell she doesn't exactly agree with the word.

Clumsily, he edges his way out from underneath her, leaving her back flat across the couch rather than across his own spine. "That's _all_?" he asks again, bracing himself with an arm on the back of the couch, leaning over her to make eye contact. Annabeth scowls up at him. "Done, over and out?"

"Over and out," she affirms with a nod.

"Before you've even heard that I have to say?" Percy continues, pushing off the furniture and shoving his hands into his jacket pockets.

"Everything alright?" Sally questions, eyebrows raised as she peeks out of the kitchen.

"Yeah, we're fine, Mom," he answers with a reassuring smile. She disappears back into the kitchen, and Percy pins Annabeth with a look and nods in the general direction of his room. It's a conversation that should have been started and carried out behind closed doors.

Thankfully, he hears her huff and follow after him. "I don't see what the big deal is," Annabeth says from his desk chair, staring at her hands. "You're always like this. You always want to talk about things."

"It's the best way to deal with events of the emotional kind," Percy says, knowing that she's never felt all that comfortable showing her cards, but is more liable to lay them down when he's around.

Annabeth drops her face into her hands and makes a disgruntled noise. "I'm embarrassed," she complains. "I usually don't do the whole 'impulsive' thing. That's all you."

"There's no need to be embarrassed! And, well, you were being pretty clumsy, too," Percy mentions, rubbing his chin. "Maybe we switched minds for a few minutes."

She watches him, trying to determine whether or not he's joking. After a smile breaks out on his face, Annabeth grins a little, too. "That would mean you wanted us to kiss," she says, applying a little logic.

Percy shrugs in his most casual manner. "Yeah, so." His cheeks heat up, betraying his cool composure. "I mean... Do you wish we hadn't?"

Annabeth considers that, rubbing her feet together in the way Percy _hates_. It's like nails on a chalkboard to him. "I don't think I do," she tells him, about a minute later, "but I do wish it would have happened at a different time."

Percy thinks he understands, but the words make him deflate a little anyways. Annabeth sighs and makes her way from the desk chair over to where he's seated criss-cross on his bed. He twists and pulls at his comforter when Annabeth hops up beside him, like a child tugging at grass. "Hey, don't look like that," she teases, swaying into his shoulder. "I like you. But..."

"You just came out of a long relationship and you don't want to rush into another," Percy guesses. Annabeth nods, but opens her mouth to add something. "And you don't want Luke to get the wrong idea and think we really _were_ cheating."

Her teeth click together when she closes her mouth. "Exactly," she says, smiling at him with something so close to adoration that his chest gives a weak flutter. "Yeah, it's like you read my mind."

Smiling to himself, Percy shrugs. "I've learned you a little." He coughs once, forcing himself to face her when he asks, "What now?"

Annabeth pauses before holding her palm out to him,and he smiles at it for a second before performing their age-old best friend's handshake. He messes up twice, but Annabeth's just as smooth and practiced as always. "I think," she starts, letting out a brief giggle when he squeezes her hand far too tight. "Percy, _stop_—I think I. We should date." She laughs after she says it, her face having lit up like a the streetlamp outside his house. Bright enough to illuminate the space around her, but not so bright that it's blinding. Annabeth's laughter is not for the faint-hearted, Percy thinks, begging his ridiculously sporadic pulse to relax.

"Date," Percy repeats, smiling stupidly. "I could do a date."

"_Casual_ date," Annabeth amends, leveling him with a look. "No begging Mom for extra money in your bank account so you can spend hundreds on meals we won't eat."

Percy groans, letting his head fall back. "You want a _meal_? You're so high maintenance, honestly. I think I kissed the wrong person. I've made a horrible mistake."

Annabeth surges forward and kisses any further comments out of his mind. He makes a very undignified noise, but the brief mortification worth it when she laughs against his lips and grips his knee firmly, kissing him a little more deeply.

Needless to say, she takes his breath with her when she dashes out of room, claiming that it's her turn to pick a movie.

;;

"Is it weird?" Percy asks. Annabeth has to go home soon and he's pretending like he _really_ needs help on his math homework. To be fair, he could use a little guidance, but holding her hand is much more pleasant than holding a mechanical pencil. "To kiss someone besides Luke, I mean. Or just doing relationship things in general with someone else?"

Annabeth mulls over that, fingers tracing over his math textbook they didn't even get around to opening. "Maybe a little," she decides, relocating her tracing from the textbook to his open palm. He grips onto her hand to stop the fidgeting. "But it's kind of a nice weird."

"Tell me more?" Percy asks politely, wondering how she would react if he bit her shirt sleeve. He follows through.

She pushes his head away with a bewildered look but pats his hair after. "Don't bite my clothes," she says patiently, like she's training a new animal. Percy would regret it if she didn't appear so pleased by his weird quirks. He gives her a winning smile. "No, but really, it's not too strange. Sometimes I'll be holding your hand, though, and I'll think '_oh, that's weird, Luke's hands were always much paler than mine'_ or something like that. You kiss different, too, but I feel like everyone does?"

"And how do I kiss?"

Annabeth pauses and blushes a light pink. "Well, uh... I don't think. I can say. It." Percy laughs at her embarrassment, so she shoves at his shoulder. "Shut up! It's just hard to describe how someone kisses. It just feels different."

Percy's only kissed two other girls besides Annabeth, and both had been very brief occurrences. He doesn't have much experience to compare Annabeth to, and even if he did, the rest surely wouldn't measure up. "How does it feel?"

"Like I'm flying, Jack," Annabeth says flatly, not putting much effort into her impression of Rose from Titanic.

Percy rolls his eyes, but she's stupidly endearing. "Well, kissing you makes me feel very happy." She glances away from him, trying not to smile. "Also kind of dizzy sometimes."

She laughs, shaking her head. "That's because you're dumb and forget to breathe," Annabeth informs him, smacking a kiss to his cheek. "Now, come on. Math."

Percy groans and complains, but Annabeth ends up staying around for a few more hours. He even manages to sneak in a few minutes of kissing. It's a good night.

;;

"I'm going to wreck your car," Annabeth tells Percy, point-blank. "There's no way we're going to get out of this without a bruise or two."

"It's just stick shift, Annabeth, it's not like you're piloting a plane." It's meant to sound encouraging, but he might be more on the exasperated side. Annabeth's been in the driver's seat for a full ten minutes and she hasn't even gotten around to _starting_ the car. "It's going to be a little hard to learn how to drive stick if the car isn't on," he mentions lightly.

"There is three pedals," Annabeth observes, looking at her feet.

Percy laughs now, reaching over and patting her left knee. "Use this one and press the far left pedal to the floor. That's your clutch."

"To the _floor_?" Annabeth asks incredulously. "That doesn't sound right. Are you wrong?" She follows directions anyways, staring at him expectantly. "What now?"

"Okay, so now you're going to turn the key, and let go of the clutch—"

"Let go?"

"Take your foot off," he orders, after the car roars to life. "And now take off the emergency brake."

"This is so many steps," she complains half-heartedly, hand hovering over the center console. He directs her to the emergency brake, letting her pull it up herself.

"Now, clutch back to the floor," he says, tapping her left leg. He moves her hand from the emergency brake to the gear shift. "Now go into first g—"

The engine stalls out. Annabeth heaves a loud sigh, groaning in annoyance, and, naturally, Percy smiles. "It's fine, it's fine," he assures her, squeezing her hand over the gear shift. "It happens all the time when you're learning, I swear. I've stalled out probably a million times; you've seen me do it."

Annabeth nods, scowling at the windshield, noticeably frustrated. "I'm going to buy an automatic car."

"Hey, don't give up," Percy urges her, cracking a smile at her petulance. "It gets easier the more you do it."

They try again, and Annabeth actually manages to switch to first gear before she stalls out. She glares at the gear shift, probably mentally cursing it in the three languages she knows. The way she clenches her jaw is somehow endearing, and Percy is borderline _ridiculous_ with his affections. "This is stupid."

"You're only saying that because you aren't getting it right away," Percy comments, waving her off. "Again. Remember, release the clutch _slowly_ while you accelerate _slowly_, if you do either too fast you'll stall out."

Annabeth has to repeat the process five times before they manage to move more than a few inches. Percy cheers proudly, glad that they've chosen a back road. "Now when you get up to about 20 miles per hour, you're going to switch into second gear, and—"

"And to switch gears you have to hold down the clutch until you've finished shifting," Annabeth recites, worrying at her lip, sparing him a glance. "Do you think I could just go under 20 miles per hour forever?"

"We might not get home any time soon," he points out, but he's not opposed to spending that much time with her. Percy's opening his mouth to restate the fact that stick shift is a skill that comes through practice, but Annabeth stalls out before he can.

"Oops," she says, sounding far from apologetic. "Looks like I stalled out."

Percy reads her tone effortlessly. With a sigh, he says, "You stalled out on purpose, didn't you."

"Don't sound so disappointed in me," Annabeth responds, facing him. "It's pointless. I won't feel guilty."

"I read somewhere that robots feel no remorse." Percy raises an eyebrow at her blank stare. "What?"

"You _read_ it?"

"_Hey_," Percy says indignantly, though he's not as offended as he's making himself out to be. "That's rude. I read."

"Okay, I can believe that you read, maybe. But about robots? Of all things?"

He narrows his eyes at her. "You're sounding a little defensive. Maybe I'm having my suspicions." Annabeth blinks at him, so Percy blinks right back. She left her hair down today, despite the heat, and it's kind of frizzy and flattened on the right side—which, Percy knows, is due to the fact that she always curls up on her right when trying to fall asleep.

"You are _such_ an idiot," Annabeth says slowly, looking away from him. "Besides, if I'm a robot, that makes you attracted to a robot, and that's just weird."

Percy could form a pretty good argument against that, but the clouds move and let the sun shine through his windshield again. Light falls across Annabeth's face, making her squint a little, and Percy's heart does a familiar flutter—one that he's starting to associate with moments he falls a little more in love with her.

He unbuckles his seatbelt, gathering that Annabeth doesn't plan on driving again anytime soon, and leans across the center console. She looks at him out of the corner of her eye, but doesn't offer him attention beyond that. "Hey," he says, inching closer, "so, I'm pretty convinced you're a robot right now."

"Are you?" Annabeth questions, looking at her nails, the epitome of an unconcerned girlfriend.

He knocks his forehead against her temple, albeit lightly. "Yeah. Really convinced. Believing it. But, I could be persuaded to think otherwise…"

Annabeth barks out a laugh, turning to him with amused eyes. "You aren't even a _quarter_ as smooth as you think you are," she declares and leans closer anyways, kissing him like she can't help herself. Percy knows the feeling.

They block the road for a while. Percy drives home.

;;

"Does it bother you that we have to keep it so low profile?" Annabeth asks, not-so-accidentally resting her arm flush against his on the armrest. She looks at him coolly, like she might not care about the answer, but he knows she does.

Percy shrugs, focusing on the warmth of her arm. If he has to tell the truth, he's not incredibly upset about it. Sure, there's been a few times where he's wanted to kiss her but couldn't, and a lot of times where he forces himself to refrain from holding her hand, but he also understands her motive for maintaining a casual relationship. He doesn't want to upset Luke either, and doesn't like the idea of rushing Annabeth into a serious relationship so soon. "Not really," he whispers, being courteous of the group seated behind them. "I mean, when you're ready, it'll be nice to do all the little things, but I'm alright with this for now." He gestures between the two of them, resting his hand on hers when she beams at him.

"It means a lot to me, you know," Annabeth says, nothing but earnest.

Percy sighs, bumping his shoulder against hers. "You've only said it a million times. Besides, what we're doing now is kind of fun," he admits. It's true—Percy likes the light-hearted, playful thing they have going. He likes being able to tease her the same way he always has; likes the way they flirt, even if they're already together; likes the way it doesn't feel like a relationship, not really, just best friends but _more_.

Annabeth tugs him in by his shirt for a quick kiss before the movie starts, and Percy keeps their knees pressed together for the duration of the film. It's nice and comfortable, his chest is warm, and Annabeth is smiling.

_A best friend and a boyfriend are two entirely separate things_. Percy remembers himself reiterating the statement numerous times less than a month ago. He has yet to determine whether or not the claim has any truth to it.

Annabeth catches him staring at her during the opening scene of the movie. She sticks her tongue out at him and laces their fingers together at the same time, so Percy decides that his past self was a little misinformed.

He can be both.

;;;


End file.
